Fair Food Review: Wisconsin Mac Burger

Writen By: Adam's Amused

I don't usually get entrees at the fair because they take up too much room in my stomach and I can't sample as much other tasty goodness. But, I made an exception for this burger at the Miller Lite Sports Bar and Grill. Deep fried mac and cheese bites, bacon, and more cheese topped the patty. It was tasty and it made itself at home alongside the other fair food in my stomach.
Verdict: Yum

It's Not a Race to Get Wasted...

Wisconsin has a lot of traditions, and lots of them are honorable. One of them, however, has been on my mind for months: Why is Wisconsin so drunk? 

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You know what I'm talking about. The Wisconsinese generally think nothing of getting bombed, and only slightly more about driving drunk. I observed the "Puke & Rally" for the first time at Silk one night when my niece left the table to rid herself of the 151 and then returned to continue drinking. Anecdotal evidence is one thing, but statistics are another. When the local paper started digging into this very topic, they found we are #1 in binge drinking, drunk driving and most drinkers per capita.

The Milwaukee Journal went on to interview anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, historians and more than 100 Sconnies and came up with a complex answer to my (perhaps oversimplified) question. I'll save you the trouble of locating their article and quote it directly:

"Climate. Ethnicity. The historical importance of the brewing industry. The interpersonal dynamics that govern how people learn to live comfortably in a group. The social nature of most drinking. A relative lack of newcomers who might foster change. The premium many here place on being just a regular person. The need for identity."

Take a minute with that, and think about life in Wisconsin.

There is one tiny ray of sunshine. Although we do, as a State, drink more alcohol than all others, it is not because some of us are getting non-stop bombed; it's because so many of us are drinking. Tennessee has about the lowest percentage of drinkers, Wisconsin has about the highest. Head-to-head against Tennessee, we come out looking good: our State disappears more alcohol, but the average Tennesseean can out-drink the average Wisconsinese.

And if you can't feel cool next to Tennessee....

I'm kidding, Tennessee. But I'm not kidding, Wisconsin. The subtle effects of beverage alcohol far outstrip its dramatic effects. Everybody gets a little looser and has a good time on the way to getting belligerent and stupid. The trick is to recognize the border and do not cross it. Stay in control of your words, your mind, and above all your dignity.

You have an opportunity to practice at The Great Sconnie Sip-Off, which will be held at the Waukesha Chancery on September 15th. It may seem antithetical for a girl who is promoting the responsible use of alcohol to be hosting a cocktail competition that is open to the public but the truth is in its name: a Sip-Off. It's not a race to get wasted. It's an opportunity to practice the Art of the Sip. Join us at 7pm and enjoy our hospitality.

(And if you want to read the full article, click here
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/31237904.html)

The Great Sconnie Sip-Off, September 2012

Think Globally, Drink Locally

I read a magazine article about the Four Seasons Hotel chain where they challenged their bars in the Americas to come up with cocktails using only ingredients from within a hundred-mile radius. I was inspired by this competition and I thought up one of my own: The Great Sconnie Sip-Off. I've expanded the field of supply to the entire State of Wisconsin and invited all the bars in our small chain to compete against mine.

It's true that the bar follows the kitchen, so the Locavore Movement's appearance in the bar should come as a surprise to no one. What we do in the bar is everyday more informed by techniques and ingredients used in the back of the house. In the past, there was a bright line delineating the two areas, maybe we shared a blender but they had recipes and we had formulas. Now, we have both. Bartenders head into the kitchen to make their own bitters, syrups, shrubs, tinctures and the like and to gather fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs for infusions of every type of spirit. In recent years, chefs have begun to source their ingredients locally, and consequently we do the same. The Locavore Movement couldn't be hotter.

Locavores are interested in eating food that is locally produced, instead of traveling long distances to market. The benefits of this style of dining are manifold; less shipping makes "eating local" (or in this case "drinking local") easier on the environment, ingredients arrive fresher, farmer's markets support the communities they represent and interacting with the producers of our food gives us a psychological connection to the earth and each other. Local eating is a movement, not a trend.

The Great Sconnie Sip-Off will be held at the Waukesha Chancery on September 15th, 2012 at 7pm. It is open to the public and will be judged by Guy Rehorst of Great Lakes Distillery, Angie West of Alcoholmanac Magazine, Ira Koplowitz of Bittercube Bitters, Drew Wintermyer of EatMKE.com and one surprise guest judge. Also, all guests will be invited to sample the entries and vote for the People's Choice.

This event will be held twice a year, and will in the future be open to teams from other bars. If your bar is interested in competing, you are a producer of an ingredient you'd like us to consider, or if you are an industry professional with an interest in judging this event in the future, please contact me.